Training

New Members WelcomeAnyone thinking about joining our sailing club and learning to sail with us will be very welcome any weekend from April to October. We will show you around the club, give you a welcome pack, talk about training and arrange a taster session where you will have the chance to try out sailing for about one hour. There is no charge for this.

YOUTH TRAINING
Bassenthwaite Sailing Club provides training using the Royal Yachting Association’s syllabus and training methods. All our instructors and Senior Instructors are RYA qualified.

There are four stages to the RYA youth training scheme and each takes about 20 hours split over theory and on the water practical experience. There is then a 40 hour Start Racing course which will be spread out whilst getting practical experience racing at our club.

It is our aim that anyone starting training with us will reach a level where they can start joining in club sailing and racing at the end of their first year. In the Autumn of 2015 we will participate in a Lake District regional relay race at Royal Windermere Sailing Club and send as many youths as possible to the RYA Youth Regatta at Ullswater Sailing Club at the end of September.

Bassenthwaite Sailing Club has a training fleet of 14 Topper dinghies which are ideal for youths aged 9 to 16. The Topper is a RYA recommended “pathway” boat where the RYA and Topper class association organise high quality coaching to help youths progress quickly. We also have use of Wayfarers, an Enterprise and Laser.

We provide buoyancy aids, helmets and waterproof spray tops.
Students will need a close fitting wet suit, neoprene shoes or boots and thermal shirt or fleece.

There is an “all in one” fee of £105 for new members which includes membership fee, boat/equipment hire, RYA logbook and coursebook.

ADULT TRAINING.
Bassenthwaite Sailing club provides training using the Royal Yachting Association’s syllabus and training methods. All our instructors and Senior Instructors are RYA qualified. There are three levels to the RYA adult training scheme and each takes 20 hours split over theory and on the water practical experience.

Adult Training will take place in Wayfarers, Lasers, Enterprise and Toppers.
We provide adult buoyancy aids and helmets.

New members will pay an all in price of £230. This includes club membership for one adult, boat hire for the course and course books. There are economies if you join as a family.

The first day of each beginner’s course will be treated as a Taster session and there is no charge for this. Full payment for membership, boat hire and books will need to be made on the second day.

GENERAL ADVICE TO STUDENTS
1) Attendance.
– Each session of the training course will cover items from the RYA syllabus. Courses are built around attendance of both days of a weekend course. If you miss sessions then you will miss subjects and your progress will be significantly slower than if you attend all sessions. You may be given chance to recover subjects at the end of the course. You will need to have covered almost all subjects to receive all your awards, though your general sailing standard will be taken into account.
– Please be punctual.
2) Clothing
– You will need to provide a well fitting wetsuit, wet boots and something to wear under and over your wetsuit. Helly Hanson/Tog24 thermal underwear are excellent and synthetic fleece excellent for under a spray top. Adults will also need a waterproof spray top.
– You will need to regularly wash your wetsuit/wetboots in Dettol to kill bacteria.
3) Helmets
– These are to prevent you banging your head too much whilst you learn to duck under the boom, which is hard metal. Once you have reached RYA stage 4 this is optional, but a wool hat softens the occasional knock.
4) Safety on the Water
– Only go sailing when there is a rescue boat on the water.
– Don’t go sailing if you know that it is so windy you will capsize.
– If you do capsize always stay with your boat and don’t pull the boat down on top of you.
– Use a masthead buoyancy bottle to avoid your mast getting stuck in the mud at the bottom of our shallow lake.
– If you see someone in difficulty sail to them, pick them up and bring them to the club.
5) Food
– You are requested to bring a packed lunch for any training course.
– Tea/coffee and cordial are provided free of charge.
6) Buying Boats
– Do not buy a boat until you have completed your training course.
– Talk to the training staff about type of boat to buy and what to watch out for.
– You will be encouraged to buy a boat for your second season as club boats are mainly used for training.
– The best choice and best prices when buying are in the Autumn.
– For youths the RYA has a recommended pathway from Toppers to Laser Radial to full rigged Laser. The RYA also recommends the RS Feva as a two person boat for youths.
– Lasers are an excellent choice for adults as they represent good value, they are robust and long lasting. There are two rig sizes to suit different wind conditions and there is plenty of competition. With over 205,000 being built they are the most popular boat in the UK.

FIRST AID COURSES
Bassenthwaite Sailing club encourages its members to attend a RYA First Aid course on the basis that First Aid is a skill for life. Training is carried out by Mrs Sue Watson.

This course teaches the treatment of minor injuries, helping someone who has stopped breathing and helping someone whose heart has stopped beating. The course includes instruction on the use of a defribrilator which is used to re-start someones heart after it has stopped beating.

This course qualification is valid for three years so refresher courses are also held.

There is no charge for this course, though the purchase of a first aid book is recommended.

See the club Training notice board for course dates.

POWERBOAT AND SAFETY BOAT COURSES
Bassenthwaite Sailing Club has five powerboats that are used for rescue duties and training. We also have two motor boats that are used as start boats. Members using these boats should where possible be qualified to either RYA Powerboat level 2 or RYA Safety Boat Driver standard.

David Nicholson is the club’s RYA powerboat instructor. He runs training courses throughout the season. See the club Training Notice Board for dates of the next course.

Training will take place in rigid cathedral hull boats, Ribs and displacement boats.

This course is only available to members.

If students wish the powerboat course can be extended to obtain the International Certificate of Competence to allow the student to hire a powerboat in Europe.

SHOWING OF TRAINING VIDEOS
Bassenthwaite Sailing Club has a wide range of sailing training videos. These are normally shown as evening training sessions running through the main subjects of boat tuning, sailing upwind, sailing downwind and racing tactics.
Please see the club Training Notice board for details of these courses.

UNDERSTANDING THE RACING RULES
Bassenthwaite Sailing Club believes that all members who sail should fully understand the rules of sailing races.

Each training course will cover the sailing rules at different levels so that students have a good understanding.

Members are recommended to purchase an up to date copy of the racing rules and become familiar with their contents.

At the start of each years sailing season the club will organise a refresher evening to remind club members of the rules.

YOUTH AND CLASS SPECIFIC COACHING
Youths who have completed one years training will become members of the Youth Squad in their second year. The Training coordinator will circulate Youth Squad members with details of RYA or Topper coaching days taking place at clubs close to Bassenthwaite SC.

The Training Coordinator will organise at least one youth Topper coaching weekend provided by a top Coach each year and inform Youth Squad members of the time and date.

Class captains may organise class specific coaching for their type of boat, in conjunction with the class association. The class captain will circulate owners of that class directly.

SAILING INSTRUCTOR TRAINING
Competent sailors are encouraged to help the club provide training to new club members.

This may take the form of acting as a Buddy to a new member, training as a Club Assistant Sailing Instructor, training as a RYA sailing instructor or coach or training as a Senior Instructor.

Members wishing to become RYA sailing instructors are recommended to gain experience as an Assistant Instructor before attending a RYA instructor Course.

Ian Turnbull Rope4Boats will be coming to the Club on Saturday 3rd March 2018 @7pm to to deliver a splicing masterclass. (Session will close at 10pm) This will be a practical session teaching splicing techniques on modern ropes. £5.00 per…